We had a dream run with the Bruny Island Ferry. We left Hobart knowing we’d need a degree of luck on our side if we were to catch the 11:05am crossing. We were prepared to while away some time at Nutpatch Nougat in Kettering if we missed the boat. But we didn’t! Our car was the very last to board the bottom-tier of the ferry, just as the doors were scheduled to close, and we motored away from the marina. Our day trip to Bruny Island was off to a great start.

From Roberts Point, we drove straight to the Bruny Island Neck Game Reserve and Lookout and tackled the 200-and-something steps to the top. It’s a good way to stretch the legs and get the heart pumping. One day we’ll return at dusk and do the walk to the penguin rookery… it’s a free wildlife experience near the beach. Visitors can watch the Fairy Penguins return to their burrows in the sand dunes.

It was time for a well-earned lunch break once we’d conquered the lookout steps. En route to the South Bruny National Park and the lighthouse, we had the choice of Hothouse Cafe on the corner of Adventure Bay Road; Hotel Bruny at Alonnah and Bruny Island Premium Wines near Lunawanna. After some indecision, the latter was the eventual location of a lovely, leisurely lunch overlooking the vineyards. Yes, it was a day trip to Bruny Island, but we still found time to dine in style!

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Cafe and cellar door: Bruny Island Premium Wines

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Lunch: picturesque vineyard

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Still time to relax: day trip to Bruny Island

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Bruny Island lamb and wallaby burgers

Lunawanna to Adventure Bay

Once we’d finished our discovery of Cape Bruny Lighthouse, we drove the 10kms from Lunawanna to Adventure Bay through the State Forest. That was a big mistake. The gravel road hadn’t been graded recently, and the pot holes were huge. The road is quite narrow, but if kept in better condition, it would have been fine for traversing the hills. You do need to hope the city slickers keep to their own side of the road when rounding the corners though!

That minor inconvenience aside, we were pleased to arrive in Adventure Bay. We wanted to show our tourists the location of the Pennicott Wilderness Journey boats after discussing our Bruny Island adventure cruise experience. The waters were crystal clear and so blue… it was almost enough to entice us into the water. We should have packed the bathers! Plenty of families were enjoying the sunshine, and colourful kayaks were bobbing along in the gentle waves.

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Adventure Bay: Bruny Island

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Beach: Adventure Bay, Bruny Island

We chose not to skinny dip, but instead drove back towards Roberts Point to catch the return ferry. We did discuss the option of driving a little further north to Dennes Point for a coffee at Jetty Cafe and a browse of the Art at the Point Gallery. That was option B if we missed the boat, but again we timed our arrival perfectly and sailed back across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, munching on fresh cherries.

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Map: Bruny Island, Tasmania…

About The Author

Researching and reporting all things Tasmanian: what a great job! That's where Tania finds herself now, immersed in the fantastic lifestyle offered by Australia's island state. With her family, she lives it, writes about it and takes the photos to promote it. And now she shares it all with her readers...